Marvel: 2010-06-04 - Rhine, Rhine, go away
The Hudson River is the defining natural feature of a major region of New York State, familiar to millions who drive across its bridges, admire its grandeur from parks and historic sites, or commute to work on the Hudson River Line railroad. But familiar as it may be, the Hudson is more than it seems.' That is what the various literature and websites say about this majestic waterway. Little did the marketing types realize how true their words could be. For Nature has a magic all its own: primal, intrinsic and timeless. Often modern Man overlooks the natural wonder and mystique that Nature holds. But there are creatures much older than Man who remember. Though unseen in these current times, they once roamed the land in the mythic age when fabulous creatures and legendary beasts held sway and then young immortals flew betwixt the Earth and Moon and played amongst the stars. All that being said, the Hudson is still a picturesque river, mighty and breathtaking in its power. And Jen Walters, dressed, for once, casually, making her way along one of the paths that leads alongside the river. She's licking an ice cream cone, perhaps a reward for a long day in court or in her office...or some combination of the two. Judging by her mood, it's been a pretty *good* day for the petite lawyer. (The ice cream, of course, chocolate). Hawkeye is riding along on his motorcycle, gazing off to the side at the majestic, if a bit polluted and nasty river. his thoughts are a mile away however, flying through the clouds with those flying saucers he saw earlier. They went out towards the water, could they even be beneath these waters right now? He spots a familiar face however and rides down to the hiking trail, "Hey there Ms. Walters. How's the best attorney in Manhattan today?" "John Aaron" has taken advantage of a day off from his mundane construction job to bring his young son Alexander out to one of those picturesque parks. Ostensibly to play "catch." He's not often one for games, but this sport of American Football isn't so bad. It's physical and competitive enough that he deems it a worthy endeavor to teach his boy. Of course, while many people admire the landscape for its' natural beauty...John tends to see it...differently. Even as he idly throws perfect-spiral passes to the young blonde boy accompanying him, he can't help but pick out the best spots for defensive positions...the "kill boxes" for perfect ambushes...the best foliage for concealing that ambush until the last possible second. These are the kinds of thoughts that occupy his head when his thoughts start to wander....to -him- they're pleasant...or at least familiar. Curtis Doyle's a bit grumpy today as he leans on a railing along a path near the river. The encounter with the flying saucers earlier left him annoyed and not just because he got shot. The bad guys got away and Curtis was too late getting somewhere to hang with his friends. Just peering at the water, he blinks when he overhears a voice that sounds familiar and starts looking around for the source of it. Alex parks his car, beat up old Impala with a rusted roof and painted primer-grey. He stays in the car for a minute or so, apparently grooving to some song before getting out and locking her up, and moving towards the edge of the water, whatever railing happens to be there to keep kids from falling in. "Huh...it s big....and dirty." Said more to himself. And when two lovers woo, they still say I love you. On that you can rely. The fundamental things apply, as time goes by.... Hist least that's what is playing on the Oldies Station that Donald Blake has turned his boom box to. And really? Who actually has boom boxes anymore? Where's the MP3 player or iPod? In any case, the good Doctor hobbles along, somehow managing to carry a picknick basket, the aforementioned boom box and a blanket. Next time him is his nurse and girlfriend, Jane. The plucky redhead carries a parcel of her own. "Don...that looks like a lovely spot over there." She points out somewhere nicely shaded but close enough for a great view of the river. Don nods and makes his way over there. Alex turns around from the railing, leaning back aganist it, starting one of his hobbies. People watching...and Jen Walters comes walking up. Ice cream....Ice cream would be nice. "Excuse me!" After she gets to within a few feet of him. "I hate to bother you, but where'd you get the ice cream at? I don't know much about the area." She-Hulk smiles first at the costumed Hawkeye. "I'm pretty good." Then a stranger asks her... "There's a stand the other side of that group of trees." Just the perfect angle not to be able to see it from here, typically. She still seems in a good mood. Maybe she won a case? Hawkeye rubs the back of his head as he looks around, feeling a little sheepish, 'Uhhh tell me... You didn't happen to see any Flying Saucers today did you?" He looks over at Alex and idly wonders how Cap pulls off that whole aura of command and confidence thing around the public when he's having to talk about really wierd happenings. Alex looks at Hawkeye for a long few moments. "Dude...its not halloween." At least, thats what he says before he points out the question about flying saucers....then his head tilts ever so slightly in one direction. "Huh...no flying saucers....wait...You're Hawkeye." A shrug at the revelation of the man. "Neat." John continues passing the football back and forth with Alexander, mostly heedless of the others present save for acknowledging that there are in fact other people around and their relative proximity. Alexander looks to be pretty athletic despite his small size, running patterns with the agility of youth and certainly showing no fear of the ball when it heads his way. John does manage to be polite enough to smile a touch and nod to a passer by that greets him. Got to maintain the facade. He does pause, however, after Alexander passes him the ball, his head turning almost as though he has caught scent of something unusual on the breeze, his eyes narrowing as he searches his surroundings, eyes finally falling...and lingering on Donald Blake. Spotting Hawkeye and Jen, Curtis smiles a bit. He glances around and once he's sure no one is looking his way or watching him, the young man concentrates. There's a shimmer and he goes from mild mannered Curtis Doyle to the amazing Freedom Ring. With a quick bit of focus, he goes invisible. The hero in pink and black approaches Clint, Jen, and Alex and smiles. Dropping the invisibility, he just appears near the group. "Hey," he greets. From the fabled vale of Asgard, deep within the Obsidian Mountains lies a crystalline castle of deepest sable. There in the stark throne room sits an imposing figure. Clad in bright emerald, highlighted with gold, he stares impassively into a mystic sphere. Before him splays a scene of distant Earth, specifically the Hudson River, there he spies the mortal form of his hated half-brother Thor. Loki, god of mischief, sneers at the visage before him. "Twice thou have thwarted my plans, god of Thunder. But thou shalt not overcome me a third time!" Loki sits upon his black throne and ponders a few moments. "Yes..." he hisses. "Yes. I know how to defeat him." Loki stands, grasping the magical globe with both hands. The scene changes before him as distant Deutschland slowly materializes in the vapours. Specifically, he looks upon another powerful and majestic river: The Rhine! Loki reaches a gloved hand into the crystal ball and by the power of his magic, deep under the raging current. He plucks something from the depths and with a might flick of his hand hurls it upwards. A tiny golden speck flies upwards through the air at incredible speed. It hurtles across airways and continents and oceans. And like a child throwing a rock into a stream it lands with a noticeable 'KERPLUNK' in the middle of the Hudson. Back on Asgard, the evil godling withdraws his hand from the magical portal. "Ahh...the die is cast!" he cackles to himself. And indeed something has been set in motion. For the mighty Rhine river suddenly boils and churns and thrashes with unnatural furor. And suddenly without any warning, a huge geyser of water shoots upwards into the sky. It's more like a cyclone, how immense its size is. But as the jet spray hits the blue sky, it suddenly dissipates into a shower of sparkles. Hawkeye is a little flummoxed at Alex. it's the first time someone's recognized him that he didn't have to follow up with trying to get out of the area quick before the cops could arrive. Luckily he's saved from having to respond by a distraction. One moment it's air, the next moment it's Freedom Ring standing there. "Oh Hey there. You coming looking for those flying saucers too?" Calm and quiet enough, Andrea Tellierra doesn't make any big splashes as she arrives on the scene at the park. Instead, she merely walks ahead, with an older gentleman at her side, appearing perhaps in his early fifties. Dressed casually, she would draw little attention, save that she is a tall, rather beautiful young woman, and a very recognizable face to those familiar at all with modern popular culture of the last 10 years. Having spotted that golden object in detail - the ability to spot it nearly a mile out and watch it coming in provides more chance for examination than most others were given - Andrea still doesn't comment on it, but she is thinking about it. How curious. A golden coin falling from the heavens? "Can we get an ice pop, Jerry?" she inquires of the gentleman at her side. She-Hulk smiles at Hawkeye...and then jumps about three feet into the air as Freedom Ring *appears*. "Eep!" Fortunately just being startled isn't going to do anything nasty or green, but, and then she mock-glares at him. She's also noticed Andrea, but the young model is just a little far away to greet properly just yet. Golden coin? What golden coin. "What the..." Alex starts at the arrival of ANOTHER costumed figure. "What the shit is going on?" Apparently, the teenager has a bit of a foulmouth. "Can the next crazy powerful guy thats showing up, just give me some sort of warning? Like a n 'incoming' or something..." Alex pushs his hands into his pockets and hunchs his shoulders. "So...flying saucers?" As if a simple civilian is going to be getting any answers. "Actually I was just hanging out. Haven't seen any sign of saucers or beekeepers since earlier," Freedom Ring answers Hawkeye with a shrug. He offers a sheepish smile to Jen. "Sorry. Wanted to make an entrance," he says. He's too busy blinking at Havok to notice Andrea just yet. "Uhh, sorry, dude. I'll tap your shoulder next time or something..." the ring-slinger trails off, letting Hawkeye explain the saucers. Ares attention is still focused on Donald Blake for several moments. Friend or foe? Spy for his family? The...whatever it is that he's sensing...he can't quite place it. It's present, but muted somehow...almost hidden. He's about certain it's coming from Blake, but can't tell its' origins or full nature yet, and isn't sure he wants to aggravate the situation by confronting the man. Ironic that the God of War might shy from confrontation...but there is Alexander to consider, and some conversations he's not ready to have with the boy just yet. Fortunately, there's another distraction almost immediately "ker-plunking" in the river, which draws another intense gaze from the exceptionally tall fellow, this time accompanied by a frown. His instincts are starting to key up. Something doesn't feel right here all of the sudden. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys, moving over to hand them to Alexander along with the football: "Alexander, take these and go to the truck. Lock yourself inside and huddle down. Go quickly." "What? Dad, why do-" "Do not argue with me, boy! Do as I say! Go!" John barks to the young boy. To Alexander's credit, he doesn't flinch at all at the raising of his father's voice, instead taking the objects and nodding, "Yes sir..." He looks confused, but does indeed follow his father's instructions, trotting off in the direction of where the HumVee is parked. Don Blake has finished spreading the blanket and so forth, so hasn't been paying attention to the convention of costume crimefighters going on, or girls on walks with older gentlement or father and son games. He only has eyes for Jane. Well....he -had- eyes for Jane until that odd golden speck fell into the Hudson. He doesn't actually see the object, but he instinctively looks up as it hits the water, something within him troubled. Its then that he looks around at the assembly in the part, his gaze gravitating towards John. All you need now is Queen playing in the background and it would be like a scene out of the Highlander. "Uhm...Jane, we forgot the drink coler back at the car." Jane smiles and stands, "No worries, Don, I'll get it. You finish setting up here." And with that, Jane exits the area. Hawkeye looks over to Alex again and nods his head, "Upp yeh, there were three of them and they had these Beekeepers who jumped out of it to try to collect mutant samples... Uh..." He blinks, "You know I know this wouldn't sound so stupid if it was Captain America explaining about it..." He looks over to Jen for some sort of support. Aware that something is off, and that some of the reactions of others in the area don't quite seem to fit, Andrea still stays mum about the whole thing, getting herself an ice pop and slurping at it in the heat, chatting with Jerry about her week at school. "It's fine, really. I know I need to keep working on it. I will. But it is just going to take time." Not the least of which just to let her body fully mature into the powers building up. Having spotted Jennifer, Andrea does not jump up and wave, but she does start herself and Jerry wandering in that direction. After all, maybe Jennifer can introduce her to one of those hunky guys. Right? And what /is/ Alex doing in the City today, she's wondering. "Captain America seems a bit self-righteous, to be honest. I know, saved the world and all..." Alex chuckles at Hawkeye's uneasiness though. "So. Big'ol spaceships, and guys in beekeeper outfits...hazmat suits. Coming and trying to get samples from mutants. To be honest, it sounds more like government projects than aliens. I'm not quite ready to believe that we've got little..or big, green men running around trying to steal DNA." He looks up...and theres Andrea, who receives everything but eternal devotion in the form of a smile towards her. Maybe he has a bit of a crush on the pop culture icon? She-Hulk nods. "I'd agree. That's not aliens, it's humans. Aliens wouldn't worry about bio-contamination, 'cause aliens wouldn't get our diseases anyway." Jen follows Alex's gaze for a moment, and lifts a hand to Andrea. Who, after all, is currently the hottest chick here. That might change at any time. Freedom Ring shakes his head. "Doesn't sound stupid to me. But then again I saw it and I'm some guy that tosses magic around like you do arrows," Freedom Ring remarks. Of course those with the ability to sense the mystic powers won't find any coming from the blond because he has none. He just doesn't know it. "And those guys didn't look Government. Or act it. Way too...supervillainy to be government if ya ask me," he remarks, stretching a little. Noticing Alex and Jen looking past him, Freedom Ring looks over his shoulder and quirks an eyebrow. He's wondering what a pop icon is doing in the park without a mob of bodyguards, papparazzi, or fangirls following. It takes some time for it to materialize, but what seems like moments after the golden coin splashed into the waters of the Hudson River, there is a cascade of water sparkles that rains down from the sky upon the mighty waterway. And then, without warning, a mighty aqueous torrent rises upwards into the sky, forming a huge column. The spout continues to spin and swirl, churning up the murky depths until it forms itself into a massive wave, nay, a tsunami! The sound of the water is like a stampede of horses, all rushing towards the shoreline. Already it's more than towers 30 feet tall in just scant moments. Those bystanders on the shoreline look up and point and scream in terror. Without hesitation, they flee from the mighty onslaught. Unless something is done to stop the tidal wave, the damage done will be incalculable! Who cares about Aliens attacking, we've got a natural disaster on our hands. Hawkeye waggles his finger, 'Hey, in that War of the Worlds movie they did and it killed off their whole invasion. Maybe these are smarter and more cautious aliens..." He blinks and looks to see what everyone else is looking at. Some sugardaddy and his young girlfriend. What of it? He opens his mouth to ask, but the words are drown out by the roar of the water pouring down upon the ground and the river. As he watches the column of water starts forming, 'OK, what weatherman predicted a one percent chance of this today so I can kick his butt!?!" he shouts out over the noise as he hops onto his motorcycle and starts racing down to the shoreline to help those who aren't moving quickly, or worse yet at all to get out of the way of the impending danger. John's eyes widen in surprise as the massive wave materializes. It quickly registers that this is not something that can be stabbed, sliced, bludgeoned, shot, strangled, or otherwise overcome via direct assault. This comes along with the realization that the wave is large enough that it's easily going to strike as far back as where his SUV is parked, and even beyond that, his son hasn't yet reached the vehicle to begin with. For the first time in possibly millennia, a God of War knows fear, even if it's not for himself. "ALEXANDER!" He bellows, and takes off after the boy at a speed that's...clearly more than human, if anyone's watching, aiming to scoop up the boy and try to outrace the oncoming wave, and not particularly caring who might see him, though he'd imagine most around are too panicked to be paying much attention. Andrea raises a hand to return the waves offered, smiling as she draws closer. Interesting conversation, to say the least, but she also does see the waters sparkling down, and then the torrent erupting. She knows there's no way she's going to be able to stop that water. There's no way to get far enough to even survive its impact. But she decides to take a terrible chance, sprinting not away from the water, but towards the people assembled near Jennifer. Hawkeye she recognizes, but only from news stories. But Freedom Ring she has actually met - though she has no idea who he is. Her goal is to reach the man said to work now with Captain America. It may be their only hope? Her only words as she sprints closer comes out in a huff, a potentially unrecognized, nameless raven-haired beauty who grabs hold of Hawkeye for a moment - just a moment - to say, "There's a coin that fell in the water before this happened. A large gold coin, about ninety seconds ago." Intel delivered, she keeps running, knowing Jerry is struggling to keep up. Where's she headed? Heck if she knows! Jen...doesn't run. For a moment, it looks like she might, but she can't keep control in *this* situation. "GRAH!" Not that she can punch or otherwise destroy a tidal wave...but she's definitely likely to be better equipped to deal with it with a bit of extra strength and mass (and ability to hold her breath) behind her. Don Blake looks up in shock and horror as the mighty tidal wave forms almost out of thin air and begins surging towards the shoreline. Moving with a nimbleness that doesn't really seem posssible, he gets himself hidden behind the tree he was sitting by. He grins his walking stick so tight in his grasps that his hand goes white. He brings it down upon the ground with a mighty crash. Lightning flashes and thunder claps and appearing out of the mystic light show is Thor, god of Thunder. With a heft of his enchanted hammer, Thor heading straight towards the monsterous wave flying to meet the natural disaster head on. Alex was about to respond to Hawkeye's war of the worlds comment, but it all gets stopped by that roar of water rising up to kill them all. He turns back to the assemblage. "So...whats the plan?" Apparently, Hawkeye's plan is to run and get away from it all. Great. One down. Andrea runs by, "Hey..." But shes gone already. "Well...we can't really get away in time." So he steps up and grabs ahold of the railing tightly. Glowing eyes go wide and Freedom Ring stumbles back. "Whoa!" he exclaims, really not sure what to do there. Giant waves are not in his area of expertise. THe pink and black-clad hero glances to Alex and curses inder his breath before concentrating. The young ring-slinger hops the railing and then calling up a shimmering blue barrier of energy about 15 feet high and 30 feet across to protect the people behind it and him. "This is gonna hurt..." Hawkeye blinks in surprise as Andrea grabs his arms and yells at him. What the heck is going on. How does she... Then he remembers the blonde in the airport... could THIS be another SHIELD agent? Damn she looks 18 how young are they recruiting them now? "Coin. Somewhere in... THERE got it." He rides on towards the shoreline, dismounting and unslinging his bow. He's done trickshots shooting coins out of the air plenty of times, but as he watches the swirling churning waters, a cable arrow in his hand, searching for even a glint of shining gold, this will definitely be a first. IF he can manage to make the shot, and as he watches that water he wouldn't want to have to calculate the odds of that. Seeing the green form erupting from Jennifer Walters' lovely grey suit, Andrea would take the time to be gobsmacked and clueless, but she doesn't have time for that. Instead, she reverses direction, running right /behind/ where Hawkeye is standing as she's headed for Alex and Lady Greenjeans. Then ... her hand snaps out. She grits her teeth ... and hisses as she unleashes a single bright 'spotlight' of light ... shining towards the very spot on the river's surface and floor where the coin now rests. Yep. Right over Hawkeye's shoulder, she just put out a bright white 'laser sight' target, but only for a two-count, before it fades and she chuffs along, weakly, towards She-Hulk and Alex. That didn't just happen, right? It was just a trick of all the adrenaline and such. Girls don't throw light beams from their hands. C'mon. Get real. If girls don't shout of light beams from their hands, then guys shouldn't be able to do what Alex does. His own hands raise up and start to glow, pushing out a circle of blue light before the air in front of his hands literally explodes into blue wreathed flames, pushing outwards at a rapidly accelerating pace and striking the water, starting a sizzle and pushing in deeper and deeper towards the gold coin, boiling the water away. "Shoot the damn thing!" Opened passage in the water, for as long as he can hold the plasma stream. Barrier. Good. And Hawkeye's doing something...even more good. She-Hulk? She's making sure that the civilians Freedom Ring is protecting get out of there, so he can drop that barrier. There's relatively little she can usefully do...unless somebody *does* get swept away, in which case, her strength might well come into play. Did Andrea...never mind what she thinks Andrea just did... Hawkeye didn't see where the light beam came from... or know what it is... He ponders it for a half second and then draws back his string. It coudl just be a fluke. It could a sunbeam reflected off someone's sunglasses for all he knows. It could just be something he's making too much of in his nervousness. Or it could be his target. Trying to keep his breathing calm and cool as he takes aim, ignoring the pounding of his heart that sounds even lounder than the water to his ears, he focuses. It could be... It could just be a glint of something gold in the water there where it's parting? Wait... PARTING? What the heck is going on? is he Noah now? He lets the arrow fly, the cable trailing out behind it as he goes plunging into the waters... The god of Thunder races towards the wall of water. As he flies onward, he twirls his hammer above his head, summoning a gale force wind that blows against the raging torrent. The tsunami is pushed back by the Norseman's efforts. That combined with the shield that Freedom Ring created staves off the natural disaster, at least for the moment. But then Andrea is illuminating coins and Havok is burning pathways through water and Hawkeye is firing cable arrows that strike true and tip pierces the golden doubloon. Thor turns back to the other heroes, stretching out a staying hand. "Nay, mortals!" But he is too late to stop them. And at that moment if things weren't bad enough, events go to hell in a hand basket. The tidal wave swirls and pitches and rages and pushes upwards into the sky. And before everyone's eyes the wall shifts into a column that then morphs into the form of a woman, a giant woman made completely of water. The elemental form stretches out an accusing hand at the people gathered on the shore. "Thieves! Profaners! Miscreants! Thou would seek to steal the precious gift that no mortal hand may hold? You shall pay for your desecration!" Hawkeye blinks as his line goes slack. He was amazed in the first place to have even hit the coin. But this is... beyond words for wierdness. He looks up into th sky where Thor is hovering, "Sorry. I was just trying to make thigns better. I don't know who the waterbabe is up there, butany chance you can explain that it her?" Mentally he starts going through his arrow inventory in his mind, pondering what could even affect a woman made of water. High explosive? Doubtful. Boomarange? yeh right. Taser? If it was a hundred times bigger maybe... She-Hulk lets a breath out. "Given we thought that little thing was causing the tidal wave, you might give us a break. Not like any of us here *want* it." An arch look at Hawkeye. He'd better not disagree, but then, she knows he was never stealing for money. And she...likes shiny things, but not shiny things that belong to watery tarts. Bonus points if you get the reference. Ares skids to a halt, just in front of the SUV, turning as he realizes the wave didn't come crashing down. He scowls at the elemental creature, fury boiling under the surface. It...made him -afraid-. Made him feel -weak-! No, it's not going to get away with that. "Get in the car, Alexander. Stay hidden." Stunned by the events, the boy complies without question this time. Meanwhile, "John Aaron" starts to move back towards the edge of the water, a scowl on his face, and no doubt a presence that Thor will pick up on rather immediately, even as he bellows out, "Be -silent-, wench! Lest -I- fetch your little bauble and return it right up your water-filled ass!" Freedom Ring grits his teeth as the wave hits his shield, holding his arms up as he struggles against the water. When the water finally stops coming, Freedom Ring lets the barrier drop and then sags back against the railing. A hand goes to his hean and he mutters something about Tylenol. "Oh you have got to be kidding me," he groans when the water woman appears. He just groans again as Ares comes forward and looks to Alex. "Hey, gimme a hand back onto that side?" he requests, asking for a little help getting back over the railing. He's just a little drained and needs a couple moments to recharge. For her own part, Andrea comes up behind She-Hulk and stops, grabbing hold of Jerry's arm when he gets closer. Hey, big and green and a friend tops just about anything else right now, with some giant water lady getting mouthy. "Maybe someone should mention they're just trying to fetch it to give it back and end the stupid tidal wave before everyone dies? I don't know. Do water ladies listen to stuff like that?" she inquires. The Viking deity turns a scowling face back at Ares. He doesn't immediately recognize the other as Ares has got his 'game face' on. Still....even though he looks very human, the Greco-Roman entity can't hide his true nature complete. Thor recognizes a fellow divinity when he sees one. He doesn't speak, but his hard look and burning gaze should get the message through to Ares: Shut yer pie hole, prissy war monger! The Norseman lands beside Hawkeye. Without a word, he takes the arrow from the bowman and pulls the coin to him with one yank of the cord. He frees it from the arrow tip and holds the shining token up to the water elemental. "Hear me, Rheintöchter, Maiden of the Rhine. The Rhine-Gold was not taken by human hand. Though they are powerful, these mortals could not sneak away this treasure without thy awareness. Nay, such theft required a subtle touch that only a god could possess." The Water Elemental listens to Thor's words and nods. "Hail son of Odin. Thou speak with great wisdom and insight. True, no mortal no matter how cunning could take the enchanted gold without our awareness. Thus we will not visit punishment upon them undeservedly." Thor balls up his hand and throws the coin into the body of the Water Woman. She smiles as the coin is engulfed by her. And like that, she springs up into a huge water spout and disappears in a shimmering shower of gentle droplets. Thor turns back to the heroes. His expression is hard, but despite his serious demeanour, he gives a slight smile. Without further word, he holds up his hammer, a flash of lightning striking where he stands. And after the flash clears, Thor is nowhere to be seen. Ares scowls right back at Thor, not terribly impressed by his "burning gaze." He does sense the other being's "divinity" though (as well as its' Asgardian origins). He's -just- respectful enough to remain silent for a few moments while Thor resolves the situation...diplomatically (*gag*). As both elemental and Asgardian disappear, "John" continues scowling, muttering, "Should've just smote the damned thing." He's pretty sure he knows how they could have killed it. But hey...being good at killing things is kinda his shtick. In any case, Alexander is safe, so perhaps it's best not to be too dissatisfied with the outcome. He doesn't, however, look to be inclined to stop and chat with anyone else as he turns to head back in the direction of his vehicle. She-Hulk shakes her head. "I'm starting to get seriously tired of weird magical happenings. Is everyone okay?" Ares is stalking off Thor flew off. Hawkeye seems fine...so does the guy with the force powers. So, that's *mostly* aimed at Andrea and Jerry. Freedom Ring just leans on the railing as everything gets resolved. With a sigh, he pushes his hair back and shakes his head after Thor and Ares go off. Slowly, he walks towards She-Hulk. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just a headache. "Someone's screwin' with us..." he says. "Second time I count something messed up happening and then that Thor guy showing up and saving the day. Something is definitely up." For her part, Andrea just stares, gaping. What the ... ? "I have no idea what just happened. But I'm fine." Jerry breathlessly pants, exhausted. He's not built for sudden running, unlike spry teenagers. "I -- I'll --- I'll be fine." Pant. Pant. "I think -- we need -- to go, young lady." Andrea pouts at this, but does not disobey her guardian. She is well aware he is more than a little upset with her for running off and doing what she's done today in full view of others. A huge risk to take, especially since it didn't pay off except to make things momentarily much worse. She-Hulk frowns. "No. Third time." She nods to Andrea. They can talk later about what She-Hulk knows Andrea saw. "I thought they were after me, but now I'm thinking they're after the Norse guy. Drawing him out, messing with his head." She brushes back her green hair. And perhaps, what She-Hulk thinks she saw, too. "Guess I missed one then," Freedom Ring sighs. "Man, first the beekeepers now this, what else is gonna happen today?" he wonders to the sky. He just offers a wave as Andrea goes off, apparently unphased if he did or didn't see anything. Who knows? Probably too distracted by the wave and Alex making havok.